Curators

Our first two curators, English professors Carl Weber and Richard Cary, faced different circumstances, each with challenges and advantages.

Entrance to Mayflower Hill, before construction began in the late 1930s. The college’s new campus was built upon farmlands and interrupted by wartime exigencies.

Weber’s tenure (1940-1958) included constrained resources on the old campus, temporary quarters during the move to Mayflower Hill and issues within the newly-constructed Treasure Room. His efforts to build a remarkable rare book and manuscript repository were aided by the college’s desire to re-envision itself on the new campus and his serendipitous encounters with generous benefactors.

Cary’s curacy (1958-1975) faced inadequate staffing, ongoing Miller Library construction and a rapidly changing cultural landscape. However, he had strong foundations upon which to build and new collecting directions to explore.